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The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil and Saturated Fats

The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil and Saturated Fats

The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil and Saturated Fats

Could saturated fat be good for you? You have heard for years how it is a health enemy. But what if your were to learn that saturated fats were not only good for you but essential to your health...?

Yes, it is true Saturated Fat is essential to your health. You may think I am crazy saying this and wondering if you are reading a health blog . . . I am not crazy and you are reading a health blog. This post is to dis-spell myths about saturated fats and cholesterol but are important to health. I feel we have been gravely mislead by the low fat craze and I would like to illustrate why saturated fat is important and some of the functions of cholesterol.

Essential to Health

Saturated fats and coconut oil are not only important components of a healthy diet they are essential to human health. Consider the facts on saturated fats:
  • Vital carriers of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K
  • Required for the conversion of Vitamin A to carotene
  • Contains the antiviral compound caprylic acid
  • Contains the antifungal compound lauric acid
  • Contains the anti-cancer compound butyric acid
  • May actually lower cholesterol levels
Cholesterol and Health

The case against cholesterol and saturated fats is based on both the politics of health and an incomplete understanding of health. In America, there is a reductionist view of nutrition. Nutrition and human health are highly nuanced and intricate and to make the case that cholesterol is bad and saturated fats are bad is oversimplified. While high cholesterol can be dangerous, cholesterol is completely needed for health. Butter oil capsules (pictured to the left) are a high-quality saturated fat containing Vitamins K, E and CoQ enzymes.
  • Cholesterol is needed to produce the following hormones
    -insulin
    -testosterone
    -estrogen
    -progesterone
  • Cholesterol is needed for your brain to function properly
  • Cholesterol is needed for cell membrane function and blood vessel integrity
  • Cholesterol is needed for the proper function of the immune system
This is just a small list of ways cholesterol contributes to health.
 
Sources of Healthy Saturated Fats

Luckily today there is an awareness of the need for healthy fats in the diet, including healthy saturated fats. Some good sources of this nutrient include grass-fed animal products including but not limited to butter and milk. Fish oils are also a great source of healthy saturated fats, if you are going to eat fish it is recommended to consume small-bodied fish such as sardines and anchovies. Let's not forget, coconut oil an excellent source of healthy saturated fats that tastes great, smells of ambrosia and is from a sustainable vegetable source.

Historically Cod liver oil has been used as a source of healthy saturated fats. It is also a well known source of vitamin D.

*The information in this blog post is not medical advice, I am not a medical doctor and the information is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should only be obtained from a medical professional.
 
5 years ago